Principal Market Research Specialist

This posting intends to fill one (1) full-time regular position, and establish an eligibility list which may be used to fill future regular full-time or limited term vacancies over the next two (2) years.

At SMUD, we’re more than just a utility—we’re a nationally recognized leader in clean energy, customer experience, and innovation. As we drive toward our bold 2030 Clean Energy Vision, we're investing in people, tools, and technologies that help us serve our community and lead the way in sustainability.

We are seeking an experienced and skilled market research professional who can bring strategic thinking and an expert grasp of consumer research, analytics and industry intelligence. In addition to conducting primary research (qualitative and quantitative), you will leverage internal operational data and secondary reports to triangulate a clear consumer narrative for key initiatives. Your work will turn data into insights—and insights into actions that improve our customer experience and move us closer to our clean energy and program goals.

You will have the skillset to work dynamically across the organization and be a key representative of market research. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to engage directly with leaders across SMUD including Marketing, Programs & Services, Customer Experience, Digital, Strategy, and Research & Development to support our 2030 Clean Energy Vision and other strategic priorities.

Key responsibilities:

What Qualities Make You an Excellent Candidate

You’re a natural connector of ideas, data, and people. You’re just as comfortable facilitating a customer focus group as you are building a Power BI dashboard—or presenting findings to executives. You thrive in fast-paced environments, and you’re driven to make research meaningful, relevant, and actionable.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

Be part of a clean energy transformation that puts community first.

Hybrid work schedule with a minimum of two days in the office (Tuesday/Wednesday) every week and others as required.

We offer medical, dental, vision, generous retirement contributions, and more.

Our employees have access to tuition reimbursement, ongoing training, and leadership development resources.

We welcome diverse perspectives and value every employee’s contribution.

We encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and encourage you to share your story.

Purpose

Directs projects and provides technical expertise in the collection and dissemination of marketing and customer information and the conduct of market research studies that form the basis of SMUD's marketing decisions, strategies and policies; analyzes current market trends and evaluate current and potential product and service offerings in light of market conditions.

Nature and Scope

Serves as a technical or functional expert or consultant providing expertise and/or direction in one or more areas of a professional discipline and assumes responsibility for resolving complex problems and overseeing complex projects. May also serve in a Lead role and assist in planning, coordinating, prioritizing, monitoring and evaluating the work results in assigned area and in selecting, training, motivating, evaluating and developing lower-level personnel.

Duties and Responsibilities

Required Education

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in marketing, business administration, economics, statistics or a related field.

Required Experience Qualifications

Five (5+) or more years of relevant experience in directing market research projects, coordinating interdepartmental teams responsible for the ongoing collection and dissemination of marketing and customer data and making presentations of technical material to senior management, governing boards and outside agencies.

Desirable Qualifications

Physical Requirements

Applicants must be able to perform the essential job functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Hybrid Work

This position may be eligible for SMUD's remote work employee benefit, the schedule of which will be determined by the successful candidate and the Hiring Manager. SMUD takes pride in powering the Sacramento region community where we live and work. We value the strong working relationships we develop with our colleagues. Our approach to remote work will continue to evolve. Please be aware that should SMUD’s business needs change, emergencies occur, or various other reasons arise, you may be required to report onsite on a part-time or full-time basis.

We recommend you create a SMUD Candidate account through our SMUD Careers page, upload your resume and cover letter to be considered for this and other open position.